Policy Pertaining To Plagiarism
What is plagiarism?
Broadly speaking, plagiarism is any time a person tries to pass off someone else’s work as their own.
Plagiarism might “look like” . . .
 Cutting-and-pasting sentences, passages or paragraphs, be it word-for-word or in a manner in which the material had
been lifted from another source.
 Copying answers from another person’s assignment/examination, when the assignment was not intended to have been a
group activity.
 Claiming ownership of ideas and theories which were originated by someone else.
The common thread which runs through these and other examples of plagiarism is an absence of crediting to the original source.
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What happens if plagiarism is suspected in Mr.Cornet’s classes?
(What does “suspected” mean? A paper whose narrative/voice is significantly different than anything the student has demonstrated
before; a sentence which can be found in an online search; identical wording of a section found in another student’s paper, etc.)
Any combination of the following may occur:
 A teacher-student conference will occur, to allow a student to defend his/her work or take responsibility for their choice.
 A student-parent/guardian conversation
 A teacher-parent/guardian conversation
 For “low”-point (about 1-45 points) assignments: zero score on the assignment. The original plagiarized paper will be kept
by Cornet until their graduation and not returned to the student.
 For “high”-point assignments (46+ points): A student may re-due the paper but may not receive more than 59% of the
assignments original value. The plagiarized paper will be kept by Cornet until their graduation and not returned to the student.
 If plagiarism occurs in an AP/Honors course, the student will be recommended to the counselors for removal from the
course and re-enrolled in the most appropriate non-AP/Honors equivalent of the course. This would likely but not
necessarily be with another teacher.
 Behavior referral.
 The first time this occurs it will remain confidential on campus; if this occurs a second time – whether in a Cornet class or
in another class he hears about – Cornet will inform the student’s other teachers that this student has a history of plagiarism,
so that they are aware to keep their eyes open in their classes.
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Why do we take Plagiarism seriously at Phoenix HS?
We are charged with preparing students for academic and professional survival and success in ‘Grade 13’ . . . that is, whatever
path students chose in the ‘real world’ after graduating from Phoenix HS.
Consider what the repercussions are should plagiarism occur in other, mid- and post-high school settings:
What happens if plagiarism occurs during college/university studies?
 In all likelihood the student would be kicked out of the college/university
 A notation indicating plagiarism would likely be placed on the students official, permanent academic transcript/record
(which means the fact it happened will be inescapable as it will continue with the student as he/she applies for jobs
and/or for another college/university)
 Why do colleges/universities view is as such a big issue? Plagiarism speaks poorly to a student’s integrity, honesty and
ethics. It also represents a violation of ‘intellectual property’ rights, something highly valued in higher education.
What happens if plagiarism occurs in a workplace setting?
 In most jobs the student would be fired. There will not be a warning after plagiarism occurs.
 Dismissal from a job for plagiarism is usually public record (ie, it is not confidential). The media could be told about it.
 In many situations, the student could be sued for tens-of-thousands of dollars by those who he/she copied from. If
plagiarism leads to a student’s own financial or employment-status gain, he/she could be sued for hundreds-of-thousands
of dollars.
 Why do employers view it as such a big issue? Plagiarism speaks poorly of a person’s integrity, professionalism,
honesty, morality and ethics. There is little difference between plagiarism and lying on an employment resume in the
eyes of most businesses.
What can you do to mitigate/prevent any concerns about your papers?
 Always give citation credit when credit is due. Never use a source verbatim (word for word) without indicating its’ authorship.
 If you have any hesitation as to when to cite a source and when not to, don’t hesitate to ask your
teacher/professor/employer. It is not a sign of weakness to ask for this clarification.